Dr Sam Howe

Pumped for this to be published ahead of print for the @IJSPPjournal France Rugby World Cup 2023🏉 special edition: Profiling Professional Rugby Union Activity After Peak Match Periods @iHealthSportVU @victoriauninews @robaughey @andymstewart Will Hopkins doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.…

"Recovery isn’t just something we “do” for 30 minutes after a workout — it’s a 24/7 process that happens when we’re not actively pushing our bodies to the limit during training or competition." @mattdriller sportsmith.co/articles/bigge…

Exercise is about more than just fitness or aesthetics. It’s what it means for our ability to stay independent for longer. Here’s the cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2peak) needed for common daily activities. Once our fitness drops below these thresholds, we can no longer “afford” the metabolic cost of tasks needed to remain independent. One of the many reasons to stay active for as long as possible. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38215969/

An intriguing question: What’s the minimum “dose” of resistance training needed to build muscle or strength? This study (pre-print) delivers new insights on whether higher training volumes or frequencies provide more benefit. The minimum effective dose of resistance training was: - 4 weekly sets (per muscle group) for muscle hypertrophy - 1 weekly set for strength With more weekly sets, both hypertrophy and strength tended to increase, with greater diminishing returns for strength. Higher training frequencies had little impact on hypertrophy, but meaningful benefits for strength (with diminishing returns). Key take homes: - Small doses of resistance training can improve muscle mass or strength - More volume (sets) benefit muscle hypertrophy more than strength - Higher frequencies are more important for strength

The “best” exercise for health: Any type you enjoy. Despite common belief, the benefits of aerobic and resistance training are more similar than different. It’s best to do both, but either provides more benefits than many expect.

We are very proud to launch our newest venture, the VU Block Model Academy. The Academy will equip education institutions worldwide with the tools to implement the VU Block Model, as well as conduct research evaluation and teacher training. More here: bit.ly/46q5E5h

Night matches at the Australian Open are a great spectacle 🎾 but sleep disruption is likely to wreak havoc even on professional athletes, writes @NickSaner (@victoriauninews) + @LivKnowles1 (@Deakin). #Echobox=1706066992-1" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">theconversation.com/some-australia…

@BenHorsley89 @victoriauninews Cheers Ben, appreciate it! Hope you're well and kicking more goals!

@Sammy_Howe @victoriauninews Huge! Congrats, mate!

I'm excited to share that I have been promoted to Senior Lecturer @victoriauninews This exciting news came late last year on my birthday of all days, when I was on annual leave visiting family and friends in Tasmania over the holiday period. A special thanks to...

@zachwhelan_ @victoriauninews Cheers Zachy, appreciate it mate!

@Sammy_Howe @victoriauninews Great work Sammy Boy!!!!

@David_D_Ward @victoriauninews Thanks very much Dave, appreciate it and I hope you are doing well in sunny QLD!

@EmilyKeohane @victoriauninews Thanks kindly Emily :)

@Sammy_Howe @victoriauninews Congratulations Sam!

family and friends who put up with me and support me in everything that I do. I owe you all a debt of gratitude and look forward to what the future holds. Bring on 2024!

and honours studies, to my PhD supervisors here at VU, the Melbourne Rebels rugby union team and the Institute for Health and Sport, to my fabulous First Year College colleagues and students who motivate and inspire me daily. Last but certainly not least, big love to my partner,

A new, two-part ‘Evidence to Practice’ guide has been developed by Orygen researchers to define wellbeing and what works to improve it. It recommends universal, community-based interventions to enhance wellbeing and strategies for community engagement. 🔗 bit.ly/3TASuy2

Sarcopenia: the progressive age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and/or function. Prevalence: estimated 10-16% of elderly worldwide Risk factors: include physical inactivity, malnutrition, smoking, extreme sleep duration, and diabetes Consequences: increased risk of a wide range of adverse outcomes including falls and fractures, metabolic disorders, functional decline, cognitive impairment, and mortality metabolismjournal.com/article/S0026-…

High-intensity interval training is not superior to continuous aerobic training in reducing body fat: A SR and MA of RCT pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37927356/ but... HIIT shows greater benefit than CAT in increasing VO2 max and fasting blood glucose and reducing total cholesterol

One of the worst injuries you need to avoid: Plantar fasciitis. I’ve spent 100s of hours reading the research so you don’t have to. Here’s how you can protect your feet from pain (for good):

Aerobic versus resistance training: how do they stack up for health benefits? Sure, there are some unique benefits to aerobic and resistance training. But - the overall health benefits are more similar than once thought. So, do both if you can. But just getting started (and being consistent) with either probably gets you most of the way there. journals.lww.com/acsm-esm/fullt…

Bringing on the Next Generation of Sport Scientists: The Benefits of Work-Integrated Learning by David B. Pyne doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.…